Textile fabric for seat covers or cushions, in particular for seats in motor vehicles

ABSTRACT

A textile article for seat covers or cushions, in particular for seats in motor vehicles, which is designed for achieving a climatizing effect. The fabric is composed of several plies in a sandwich-like arrangement: 
     a) a woven or knitted fabric (1) facing towards the body, and which has moisture-transporting and moisture distributing properties, 
     b) a needle-punched non-woven fabric (2) located thereunder, also having moisture-transporting and moisture distributing properties, 
     c) a second needle-punched non-woven fabric (3) located thereunder, having absorbent and storing properties; and 
     d) a thermobonded non-woven fabric (4) located thereunder, having cushioning and rear-ventilating properties.

SPECIFICATION

The invention relates to a textile fabric for seat covers or cushions,in particular for seats in motor vehicles, which is especially designedfor achieving a climatizing effect.

By a climatizing effect for seat covers or cushions in motor vehicles itis understood that these are to have--apart from a comparatively highair permeability--thermal conductivity for conducting the body heat awayfrom the body, capillary action for transmitting moisture, andrear-ventilating property.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONS

Cushioning materials for motor vehicle seats are being utilized in theart with various material compositions, designs and constructions. Theleast expensive and therefore most frequently employed materials arepolyurethane foams of various densities. Besides these, in vehicles inthe upper price range, constructions of polyurethane foam and rubberizedhair, as well as mixtures of polyester fibres and animal fibres (wool)in conjunction with polyurethane foam are utilized. A furtherpossibility is the use of wadding mats of polyester/copolyesterthermobonded nonwoven as padding material (VDI congress "Textilien imAutomobil", 14th-15th Oct. 1992, pages 88 ff).

A technical variant is a seat construction with rear ventilation andadditional Gore-tex® membrane (Technische Textilien, Jul./Aug. 1993, p.T172).

Disadvantages of the heretofore employed seat designs lie in the factthat neither polyurethane foams nor rubberized hair have the thermalconductivity required for conducting the body heat away from the body,even under the most favourable conditions such as the body being at restand an ambient temperature of 20° C. In addition, the mentionedmaterials impede the transmission of moisture as a result of their lowcapillary action. The manufacture of superior material compositions orseat constructions is more complicated and they are in addition moredifficult to recycle. Recycling, in particular, is of great importanceat present as disposal capacities are decreasing while costs are rising.

Seating materials of polyester/copolyester thermobonded nonwoven havethe advantage of a high air permeability, but they also have the greatdrawback of being complicated to manufacture. In their manufacturewadding mats are placed in various plies one upon the other, offset by90 degrees, and are pressed, in order to achieve high restoring forces.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the present invention to provide a textile fabricfor seat covers or cushions, in particular for seats in motor vehicles,which is especially designed for achieving a climatizing effect while atthe same time being easy to manufacture and effective in use, as well asbeing reprocessable by means of unbroblematic disposal due to itssuitability for recycling, and which, apart from its high airpermeability, has sufficient thermal conductivity for conducting bodyheat away from the body, as well as a satisfactory capillary action formoisture transport, and enables an economically efficient manufacture.

In a textile fabric of the kind mentioned hereinabove this object isachieved by the invention in that the said textile fabric is made up ofseveral plies of textile fabrics in sandwich-like arrangement andcomprises the following plies:

a) a first ply facing towards the body, and which hasmoisture-transporting and moisture distributing properties,respectively;

b) a second ply located thereunder, likewise havingmoisture-transporting and moisture distributing properties,respectively;

c) a third ply located thereunder, having absorbent and storingproperties;

d) a fourth ply located thereunder, having cushioning andrear-ventilating properties.

One embodiment provides for the textile fabric to have an additional,fifth layer right at the bottom which has a stabilizing property.

Further advantageous properties are provided for according to thedisclosed features of the invention.

In this connection, the first ply may be a woven or knitted fabric ofsynthetic staple fibres or filaments. This is preferably a polyesterknitted fabric.

The second ply is a needle-punched nonwoven of synthetic staple fibres,preferably of polyester needle-punched nonwoven.

The third ply may be a needle-punched nonwoven fabric of syntheticand/or natural staple fibres. Preferably, this is a viscose rayonneedle-punched nonwoven.

The fourth ply is a thermobonded nonwoven of synthetic staple fibres,preferably of polyester/copolyester.

The fifth ply may be a knitted fabric, woven fabric or nonwoven, and ispreferably a polyester spunbonded nonwoven. According to the invention,the above-mentioned plies of the textile fabric are secured to eachother by frictional closure and form closure, cohesively and/oradhesively, and preferably delaminatably.

Furthernmore it is provided that the first ply and the fifth ply are tobe laminated onto the intermediate plies 2 to 4 by means of a paste, apowder, a hotmelt and/or an adhesive nonwoven, preferably ofcopolyester, employing an appropriate method (e.g. a flat bed laminatingunit, etc.). The second ply and the third ply are mechanically bonded toeach other, preferably by one-sided needling. The fourth,polyester/copolyester ply, consisting of a thermobonded nonwoven, issecured to the viscose rayon needle-punched nonwoven of the third layer,with the same direction of needling.

By the structure of the textile fabric according to the presentinvention it is achieved that the first ply, facing the body, and thesecond ply of the textile fabrics are provided with a moisturetransmitting and moisture distributing function, respectively, and thethird ply with absorbent and accumulating functions, and the fourth plywith a cushioning and rear-ventilating function. The sandwich-likefabric may additionally be stabilized by a fifth ply, whereby it is ofadvantage that the material is delaminatable due to the composite ofplies according to the invention, and can thereby be recyled withoutproblems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

An example of an embodiment of the invention is shown, purelydiagrammatically, in the accompanying drawing.

The multi-layered, sandwich-like fabric consists of a polyesterneedle-punched nonwoven 2 and a viscose rayon needle-punched nonwoven 3which are mechanically joined to each other by one-sided needling. Athermobonded nonwoven fabric of polyester/copolyester 4 is bonded, withthe same direction of needle-punch, to the viscose rayon needle-punchednonwoven 3 as a result of a further process step. A polyester knittedfabric 1 and a polyester nonwoven 5 are laminated on the upper face 2and lower face 4 of the intermediate plies 2 and 4 by appropriate mediaand methods. The manufacture of the fabric consisting of plies 1 to 5,which according to the invention is multi-layered, presents no problemsand is therefore comparatively inexpensive.

The construction of the vehicle (slightly inclined windshield, rear andside windows) results in a higher temperature which is compensated by anincreased perspiration of the occupants of the vehicle, in particular ofbabies and infants. It is to great advantage in this respect that thecapillary action of the fibre material is increased by the way it ismanufactured, whereby moisture transport is improved, thus adapting theseat climate to the increased demands. As a result of theabove-mentioned selection of raw materials and of the method ofmanufacture it is now possible to carry out an environmentallyacceptable disposal and recycling by delaminating the individual plies,which are bonded to each other. Thus, the invention ideally solves thetask mentioned hereinabove.

We claim:
 1. A textile fabric for seat covers or cushions, in particularfor seats in motor vehicles, particularly designed for achieving aclimatizing effect, characterized in that it is composed of severalplies of textile fabrics in a sandwich-like arrangement and comprisesthe following plies:a) a first ply (1) facing towards the body and whichhas moisture-transporting and moisture distributing properties,respectively, and which consists of a woven or knitted fabric ofsynthetic staple fibres or filaments; b) a ply (2) located thereunder,likewise having moisture-transporting and moisture distributingproperties, respectively, and which consists of a needle-punchednonwoven of synthetic staple fibers, c) a third ply (3)locatedthereunder, having absorbent and storing properties, and which consistsof a needle-punched nonwoven fabric of synthetic and/or natural staplefibers; and d) a fourth ply (4) located thereunder, having cushioningand rear-ventilating properties, and which consists of a thermobondednonwoven of synthetic staple fibers.
 2. A fabric according to claim 1,comprising an additional fifth ply (5) at the bottom, having astabilizing property and consisting of a knitted fabric.
 3. A fabricaccording to claim 1, wherein the first ply is a polyester knittedfabric.
 4. A fabric according to claim 1, wherein the second ply is apolyester needle-punched nonwoven.
 5. A fabric according to claim 1,wherein the third ply is a viscose rayon needle-punched nonwoven.
 6. Afabric according to claim 1, wherein the fourth ply consists ofpolyester/copolyester.
 7. A fabric according to claim 1, comprising anadditional fifth ply (5) at the bottom, having a stabilizing propertyand consisting of a polyester spunbonded nonwoven fabric.
 8. A fabricaccording to claim 1, wherein the plies (1) to (4) are bonded to eachother by frictional and form closure, cohesively and/or adhesively.
 9. Afabric according to claim 8, wherein the plies are bonded to each otherdelaminatably.
 10. A fabric according to claim 2, wherein the plies (1)to (5) are bonded to each other by frictional and form closure,cohesively and/or adhesively.
 11. A fabric according to claim 10 whereinthe plies are bonded to each other delaminatably.
 12. A fabric accordingto claim 10, wherein the first ply (1) and the fifth ply (5) arelaminated onto the intermediate plies (2) to (4) by paste dot coating ina flat bed laminating unit.
 13. A fabric according to claim 10, whereinthe second ply (2) and the third ply (3) are bonded to each other byone-sided needle-punching.
 14. A fabric according to claim 10, whereinthe third ply (3) is mechanically bonded to the needle punched nonwovenof the fourth ply (4), with the same direction of needling.